The present invention relates generally to a balloon catheter, and more specifically to a lesion molding balloon catheter.
Applicant is the inventor of an invention entitled "Stent Retrieval Device", filed with the USPTO May 16, 1997 and assigned Ser. No. 08/857,791, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. The stent retrieval device utilizes an inventive balloon which will deform 300-400% of the nominal diameter of the balloon at 1 atmosphere.
Applicant has discovered through experimentation that this balloon will also function as a lesion molding balloon in a 3D imaging application. Lesion molding balloons are well known in the art, and expand to conform to the structure of the vasculature. The balloon is then deflated and withdrawn from the body. When the balloon is reinflated it "remembers" its expanded shape, allowing the user to obtain a three dimensional image of the vasculature. An imaging balloon catheter is disclosed in Adams et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,016, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
In experimentation, applicant has found that one problem with the extremely compliant inventive balloon is that because it deforms 300-400% of its nominal diameter, it places a great deal of tension on the points it is attached to the outer and inner catheter shafts as it attempts to "shrink". This tension causes the lesion molding balloon to be deformed so that it does not obtain a proper 3D image of the vasculature.
What is needed is a balloon catheter structure which allows use of the inventive lesion molding balloon without having its shape deformed by the tensions of expansion.